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April 2013

As you might imagine, we at JCPL love National Library Week! It gives us another opportunity to let you know how great the library is and to pass on some new ideas for reading and sharing information.

National Library Week is sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries around the country each April.

Spending quality time with our kids is so important. But, in our fast-paced lives, finding time together can be hard to accomplish. Time is short, budgets are tight and planning even a small outing can be a challenge.

Luckily there are things to do, adventures to begin and amazing things to learn - right at the library! There are lots of ideas on the @ Your Library web site on how to make the library a familiar friend for the whole family!

On April 1, Mo Willems' Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus turned 10, no fooling. This picture book continues to delight readers young and old with its quirky illustrations and charming dialogue.

About his Caldecott Honor book, Willems says, "I've been asked on occasion if I ever dreamed that the Pigeon would eventually spawn multiple books, activity books, games, toys, apps, animiated films, and fabrics. The answer is, of course I dreamed that. I also dreamed that I would get a flying pony that always had convenient parking spots. I just never expected it."

Check the book out and see if Pigeon can convince YOU to let it drive your bus. While you're at it, take home some other terrific books Mo has created over the years, such as Knuffle Bunny books, the Elephant and Piggie series, or other stories starring Pigeon.

Join the party on Pigeon's web site, where you'll find games, activities, and more to delight and entertain, just like Pigeon's books.

Also, Mo's web site is a place for tapping in to books, games, and even videos featuring Mo's many friends .Want to know what Mo Willems is up to today? Peruse his blog .

If you are a fan of smart, funny, precocious fourth-grader Clementine, you may already know about her clever creator, Sara Pennypacker. You are probably already enjoying Clementine’s SIXTH adventure, titled Clementine and the Spring Trip.

Sara Pennypacker was a shy girl who loved reading, gardening, going to the beach, getting presents, riding horses, and cake! (She says she still likes all of those things.) When she grew up, she started painting, and then writing children’s books. On her website, she says, “Kids ask me all the time how they could know if they're going to be a writer. The first thing I tell them is this: "If you write for pleasure, you already are a writer."

Two of my favorite books of hers are picture books, and not part of a series, but they tell amazing stories. One is Sparrow Girl, which is based on a true story of a girl in China who saved beautiful birds from being destroyed. The other is Pierre in Love, about a shy rat feeling "bloopy and love-swoggled", and trying to show the ballet teacher how he feels.

No matter which of the characters you meet in Sara’s world, you’re bound to find you’ve made a new friend!

Do you always think of superheroes when you hear about comics and graphic novels? Think again! The graphic novels listed below, and many others, have nothing to do with Superman! Some are stories on their own; others are illustrated retellings of books previously written in chapter book format.

Are you wondering what’s so great about graphic novels? Look no further! These help reluctant readers who might be hesitant to pick up longer books become interested in reading. They can also improve reading development and comprehension in students struggling with learning language, as they provide clues through pictures as to what is being conveyed with words.

Bake Sale is a graphic novel about a cupcake that owns a bakery and plays in a band. His friend, Eggplant, invites Cupcake to go to Turkey with him but Cupcake doesn’t have enough money to buy a plane ticket. Read it to find out what he does! This book also includes recipes!

Benjamin Bear faces many problems in this book but he always comes up with funny and creative solutions for them. For example, when Benjamin is washing his dishes in a waterfall, his friend Rabbit offers to help him dry. Benjamin uses Rabbit’s fuzzy body to dry the dishes, instead of handing him a towel.

In this book, a cat named Binky thinks he is a space cat, though he is really just a regular house cat. He plans to leave the space station, also known as his house, to blast off into outer space, or outside. Here he will conquer aliens (bugs) and explore unknown places. Will he survive this dangerous journey? Read this and other Binky books to find out!

This is the first title in the Goosebumps Graphix series, based on the stories from Goosebumps chapter books! Here The Werewolf of Fever Swamp, The Scarecrow Walks at Midnight, and The Abominable Snowman of Pasadena are all told in illustrated format!

This is an illustrated retelling of the chapter book with the same name. In this story Meg Murry and her little brother Charles search for their lost father, who is doing secret time travel work for the government. Along the way they encounter lots of interesting characters.

Tired of listening to the same old versions of classic children’s songs? You should check out Eric Litwin’s CD, The Big Silly.

Litwin, the author of the popular Pete the Cat books, has put a twist on a few of the classics and has created a some original songs, dances, poems, and stories everyone can get into.

Wheels on the Bus is now sung in a Ska style, and the ABC song is done with a Hip Hop groove. With a different style of music for each track there’s something to please everyone in the family! Check out some song clips from this CD!